Fire-hose-cleaning mechanism



(No Model.)

R. .0AREY. FIRE HOSE CLEANING MECHANISM.

No. 589,559. Patented Sept. 7,1897.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

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RANALDO V. CAREY, OF MILLBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FlRE-HOSE-CLEANING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,559, datedSeptember 7, 1897.

Application filed September 25,1896. Serial No- 806,918, (N d l To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RANALDO V. CAREY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Millbury, in the county of lVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Mechanismfor Cleaning and Rolling hirellose, of which the following, togetherwith the accompanying drawings, is aspecitlcation sufficiently full,clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which thisinvention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicientmechanism for usein the fire departments of cities and towns for cleanin g and rolling up fire-hose after it has been used at fires orinotherscrvice, said mechanism is adapted for removing mud or dirt fromthe outside of the hose after simply drying the same and for putting thehose in condition ready for further use. This object Iattain by themechanism ill ust-ratcd in the drawings, wherein- Figure l is a sideView of my hose cleaning and rolling mechanism. Fig. 2 is an uprightsectional view showing the front of the rolling appliances. Fig. 3 is anupright sectional View showing the front of the rotary brushes. Fig. iis a front View of the stationary brushes. Fig. 5 is a verticalsectional View of stationar brushes as mounted in connection with ayielding presser, and Fig. 6 indicates the way and manner in which thehose is rolled by the mechanism. Y

Referring to the parts, A denotes the f ramc, of suitable form.

B 13 indicate a pair of rotatable brushes mounted in hearings on theframe and having their arbors connected by gears b, one

arbor being also provided with a pulley or sprocket wheel (1 for drivingthe brushes.

D D indicate upper and lower stationary brushes mounted on the frameforward of the rotary brushes.

F indicates the winding shaft or spindle, supported for turning in abearing 1, fixed on the main upright standard a of the frame, andprovided on its outer end with a crank G or other suitable means forturning the shaft. Said shaft or spindle is provided with a spidcr,wheel, or flange F, that presents a side face approximatelyperpendicular to the axis and that serves as a guide for the roll ofhose. A finger or pin I projects from the side of the wheel F parallelwith and at a short distance from the spindle, as shown in Fi 2. Apulley or sprocket wheel J is fixed on the spindle, and a band or drivechain J is arranged therefrom to the wheel 0 on the brush arbor. The endof the spindle F is supported bv a bearing or recess on a movablestandard a, which is hinged to the base at a and secured to thecap-frame by a detachable fastening device at 6, so that said standardcan be released and swung outward, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig.2. One or more spring-clips 2' are arranged on the rinr of the wheel F,suitable for temporarily retaining the end of a cord or string.

K K indicate free rnnnin g, guiding, or supporting rollers ar 'anged forsupporting the hose at front and rear of the brushes. The head M of theframe in which the upper rotating brush 1) is mounted is best hinged atm, so as to swing back, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 3.

The brushes D D are preferably made, as indicated, with concaved bristlefaces, which when placed opposite each other form an opening h for thepassage of the hose, the bristles acting upon the surface of the hose asit is drawn between the two brush-sections. Slot-s or openings (Z areformed through the brush-blocks for escape of dirt. Said brushes may beconfined in a frame or box a with a spring S at the back of one brush,and a screw or screws P provided for regulating the tension of saidspring. (See Fig. 5.) The upper stationary brush or its supporting-boxis preferably hinged, as at '12., to facilitate the swinging back orraising of the brush, and a suitable latch or fastening device isprovided for retaining it in closed position.

The operation is as follows: The top brushes B are D are raised, the endof the hose laid in the hollow of the lower brushes,

and said top brushes closed upon the same. The end of the hose is thendrawn forward, and its neck, just back of the end coupling, isintroduced between the pin I and spindle F. A string r is laid under thepin I and its end caught in the clip 2'. Then bymeans of the crank G thespindle 1* and wheels F and J are rotated, drawing the hose ll forwardthrough the brushes and rolling it into a flat coil against the flangeor face-wheel F,while at the same time the brushes B B are rotated bythe action of the sprocket-wheel J and drive-chain J. The stationarybrushes D D serve as scratchers for loosening the dried mud or dirt andthe revolving brushes act for dusting off the surface as the hose movesforward between the same, thus effectin g the cleaning and rollingoperations in. a rapid and efficient manner. hen the length of hose isrolled up, the end of the string is removed from the clip and the rollis tied up. The standard a is then unlatched and swung outward and theroll of hose slipped off from the end of the spindle in condition andform (see Fig. 0) to be placed in the hose-wagon ready for further use.

The use of my improved mechanism obvi ates the necessity of Washing theexterior of the hose and removes the dirt in dry condition, that wouldotherwise naturally soak into the fabric by a washing process,especially in double jacket hose. It accordingly prevents the rotting ordeterioration of the fabric that ensues from a continued moist conditionof the fiber, thereby rendering the hose more lasting and serviceable,while the work of cleaning and rolling can be performed 'moreexpeditiously and with comparatively ted, but the operation would be thesame as above described,though giving less efficiency.

1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The hose cleaning androlling mechanism, comprising in combination as described thesupporting-frame, the rotatable windingspindle carrying the face-wheelprovided with the pin or means for retaining the end of a hose, themeans forturning said spindle, the sprocket-wheel fixed on said spindle,the rotary brushes having their arbors respectively mounted in bearings,one on the main frame the other in the laterally-tilting head-framehinged thereto, the sprocket-wheel on the brush-arbor, the drive-chainconnecting the sprocket-wheels, and gears connecting the brush-arbors,all substantially as set forth.

2. In a hose-rolling mechanism, the combi nation, as described with themain frame. the winding-spindle mounted in a bearing on said main frame,the face-wheel fixed 011 said spindle, a device for temporarilyretaining the end of the hose thereon, and means for rotating saidspindle and face-Wheel; of the removable front standard, its hinge andfastening devices, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witness my hand this 18th day of September, 1896.

RANALDO V. CAREY.

itnesses:

CHAS. I-I. BURLEIGH, SIMEON E. KING.

